Good reads

http://e-tubeproject.shimano.com/...M-CC.3.2.0-01-EN.pdf
http://carltonbale.com/...ng-you-need-to-know/

I wonder how difficult it would be for Shimano to turn this style into a true wireless set up like the Blip from Sram. It sure looks closer to that than the old shifters. I'm sure it's coming down the pipe from Shimano...

Not 100% direct answer to your question, but i am running two bikes which both mixed 9070/9150 setups.

1) TT bike with 9070 shifters and 9150 RD (1x) (it was originally a full 9070 TT setup. No changes to wires, junction box etc)

2) road bike with 9150 shifters and 9070 RD+FD. (it was originally a full 9150 road setup. No changes to wires, junction box etc)

I have only briefly tested the TT bike but it seems to work great. The road bike certainly does.

I'm using the SW-R9160 with 6870 parts and they work great. I don't know about the SW-R9150 shifters.

A note about SW-R9160 - they do not come with E-Tube wires so plan on buying those in the correct length. I assumed they came with wires and then had to order some to finish building the bike.

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-Mike

Vertex Fit Systems (http://www.vertexfitsystems.com) | Bikeworks (http://www.bikeworksma.com) | Russo Racing (http://www.r2tri.com)

To all: Thanks a lot for all of your the responses.

Do you know which battery you are using? I believe I'm using SM-BTR2 and not the new BT-DN110. I would think that SM-BTR2 is also what you are using, but I'm not sure if there are more types of internal batteries.

It sounds like the shifters should work - maybe a FW update is required.

On carltonbale.com is says for both type of shifters that "These shifters require the BT-DN110 Internal Battery for synchronized shifting", but that statement is a bit unclear if it requires the new battery to work or it's only if you need the synchronized shifting. Since I'm running 1x11 I don't need synchronized shifting.

I think I'll order one set of SW-R9150 climbing shifters. I can then check if they work and see how big they are in real life. If they are fairly small and can be placed well I think I might used them both at the extensions and at the brake levers.

The new battery is needed for Syncro Shift. It has more processing capacity to handle the extra demands that syncro presents. The new components will function just fine with the old internal battery.

The new battery is also necessary, along with one of the new D-Fly units, to utilize the wireless e-tube Bluetooth app.

I am using the new BT-DN110. I could check this tonight with the SM-BTR2 from my wife's bike. I am also running 1x11 so no need for syncho-shift.


Are you sure these climbing shifters can plug straight into a junction box? When I looked them up my impression was that they could only plug into the climbing port of a STI shifter. I could be wrong on that which would be good to know as I may use them as well.

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-Mike

Vertex Fit Systems (http://www.vertexfitsystems.com) | Bikeworks (http://www.bikeworksma.com) | Russo Racing (http://www.r2tri.com)

Yes they work fine with the older battery, you only need the new battery for synchro shifting if you decide to go that route. They plug directly into a junction box. I have a brand new pair of these still in the box that I am selling, complete with the wires too (which they don't come stock with like the older switches).

If you follow the link to the Japanese blog I link to in the OP you can see these climbing shifters being used on a TT bike at the brake levers. And from what I can tell from Google translate there is no special hack going on. That's why it seems like you don't need a STI shifter to use them.

Thanks. I'm assuming you talk about the bar end shifters? Feel free to hit me with a PM about selling, but remember I'm in Denmark, so if you are in the US there will probably be some VAT and customs.